Despite looming budget deadlines or the fact that design plans for the new Crystal Pool and Wellness Centre are almost complete, Victoria City Council directed staff to look into building the pool at alternative locations.
The original plan was to build the new pool in Central Park, adjacent to the current facility. This would allow the public to access the current pool for the two years it is estimated to take to build the new pool.
However, after receiving push back from North Park residents about a lack of consultation, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and Coun. Jeremy Loveday motioned to investigate into other options.
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B次元官网网址淔or North Park residents this is the biggest investment weB次元官网网址檙e ever going to make for their neighbourhood, and we want it to be done right,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淚t may be that itB次元官网网址檚 in the best place that itB次元官网网址檚 proposed to be right now, but it may also be that through this study that thereB次元官网网址檚 a better location. This is the right time to do the work before the grant application has gone in.B次元官网网址�
In a letter to the Committee of the Whole signed by Helps and Loveday it was noted that trust between the City and the North Park Community has B次元官网网址渆rodedB次元官网网址� from a lack of engagement, and that in hindsight B次元官网网址渋t would have been a good idea for pool and park engagement to go hand in hand.B次元官网网址�
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Council directed that City staff compare the costs and benefits of building the new facility as currently proposed versus keeping the facility at the existing location, and have even proposed options outside of the parkB次元官网网址搃ncluding the property next to the Victoria Curling Club. Council also directed staff to investigate into parking options for each location.
Helps said that North Park residents have many unanswered questions, and that City staff will work with them to come up with the most agreed-upon designs.
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If the pool were built at its current site, residents would not have access to the pool for at least two years, with the closest alternative being the YMCA location on Broughton Street, something Helps acknowledged as a difficult decision.
B次元官网网址淓ither weB次元官网网址檙e not going to have a pool for two years, or weB次元官网网址檙e not going to have a park as we know it for two years,B次元官网网址� Helps said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e trying to balance competing needs and have to go with the best option.B次元官网网址�
Helps says despite the added tasks, the City still hopes to have all of its grant applications for the pool in by January 2019.
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